Aluminum, steel, or vinyl siding is often used to cover the exteriors of buildings. Such siding takes the general form of preformed sections adapted to interlock at their top and bottom edges with complementary edges on adjacent sections. The top edge of such siding typically has holes therein for nailing purposes and a downwardly turned lip on the outer surface. The bottom edge typically includes an upwardly turned lip on the inner surface. An intermediate bend or lap is sometimes provided to give the appearance of two relatively narrow overlapping strips of siding, which can be smooth or textured. Such siding is typically installed on a wall from the bottom up, one course at a time, by cutting into sections of the required length, interfitting the bottom edge of one section to the top edge of the previous section, nailing the top edge of that one section in place, cutting the next section to length, etc.
In the past, such siding has been cut to length with tin snips, hacksaws, and the like. This is time consuming and can substantially increase the cost of installation. Cutting the steel siding with a saw can remove any galvanizing, paint or other protective coating, and void the siding manufacturer's warranty. In addition, cutting with hand tools of this type is not especially precise and can cause warpage or distortions in otherwise smooth siding, which in turn can lead to difficulties in installation and increase exposure to injury by the user.
Siding cutters also have been available heretofore for this purpose. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,038,477 to Parrow, 4,510,834 and 3,134,285 to Greene, 4,401,002 to Worsham, 4,130,037 to Matthews, and 3,393,595 to Halverson are representative of the prior art in this regard. Although such cutters have been available, they have had certain drawbacks. For example, the siding cutters of the prior art are not readily convertible to accommodate different types and sizes of siding, and may in some instances not be configured in the safest manner for the user.
A need has thus arisen for an improved siding cutter which is readily convertible to accommodate different types and sizes of siding, and which is safer to operate.